Warning: Spoilers for Cobra Kai season 6, episode 10
It took more than 30 years, but thanks to Cobra Kai, The Karate Kid the franchise has finally fixed Terry Silver’s master plan for the third film. In The Karate Kid Part III, Thomas Ian Griffith’s character developed a complicated scheme to avenge Kreese’s humiliation at the end of the first film. With Mike Barnes as his champion, Silver believed he could separate Daniel LaRussso and Mr. Miyagi and bring suffering to both. It worked to a certain extent, but the final phase of the plan was a total failure.
Terry Silver had a completely different goal in Cobra Kaiat least in seasons 4 and 5. Instead of just focusing on getting revenge on Daniel, Silver was more interested in building a legacy for himself (at first). Cobra Kai season 5 finale, Silver began a journey reminiscent of the one he was on The Karate Kid Part IIIwith one of the biggest differences being that his plan is much more solid this time around.
Terry Silver’s deal with Sensei Wolf recreates his Karate Kid Part III plan
Terry Silver’s plan is a bigger, better version of the one he’s already tried
There are clear parallels between what Terry Silver is doing in Cobra Kai Season 6, Part 2 and how he tried to get revenge on Daniel in 1985. In The Karate Kid Part IIIthe end of Silver’s plan called for Daniel to lose at the All Valley Karate Tournament. To that end, Silver hired Sean Kanan’s Mike Barnes, a former national karate champion, to fight on his behalf. This was a shortcut for Silver, like meI didn’t allow Terry Silver to have a fighter in the tournament without personally training him.
Having the Iron Dragons steal Daniel’s Sekai Taikai victory would have been the equivalent of what he expected from Mike Barnes.
Silver ended up following the same path in the Sekai Taikai tournament. Not very different from the situation in The Karate Kid Part IIISilver started the story wanting revenge, and not necessarily glory in the tournament. Through his agreement with Sensei Wolf, he managed to acquire a way to get what he wanted. His wealth allowed him to effectively purchase his own Sekai Taikai team. Having the Iron Dragons steal Daniel’s Sekai Taikai victory would have been the equivalent of what he expected from Mike Barnes.
Adding to the connection between the two planes is the Iron Dragons’ pre-tournament reputation. In both stories, Silver’s goal was to look for a proven winner, someone with a great chance of winning for him. Just as he sought the national champion of the All Valley, where he would be the clear favorite to win, Silver sought the services of a team that had already won the Sekai Taikai, proving that it had what it takes to win.
How Terry Silver’s Sekai Taikai Plan Fixes His Biggest Mistake With Mike Barnes
Terry Silver isn’t letting his hatred for Daniel affect the tournament
Superficially, copying your schematic The Karate Kid Part III may seem like a reckless move for Terry Silver, but his failure in the film is not indicative of what could happen in Cobra Kai. It appears that Terry Silver has learned an important lesson from the events of the film and is avoiding the mistakes that ruined his original plan. In the final round of the tournament, Silver ordered Mike Barnes to keep the score at 0-0 so that the fight would last a long time. The purpose of this was to give Barnes many opportunities to inflict pain on Daniel.
Silver’s plan was flawed because it was driven by the arrogant notion that Daniel was completely outmatched by Mike Barnes.
Silver’s plan was flawed because it was driven by the arrogant notion that Daniel was completely outmatched by Mike Barnes. Arguably, he was right in saying that Barnes was the better fighter, but what he got wrong was the idea that Daniel wasn’t good enough to score a point. Because of Silver’s bad strategy, Daniel won with just one point scored at the end. If he hadn’t held off Barnes, it’s hard to imagine Daniel walking away with a win. Interestingly, Silver has yet to exert any kind of pressure on the Iron Dragons to do things his way.
For the most part, Silver just watched from the sidelines, allowing Sensei Wolf to manage his own students. Ultimately, this is good for Silver, as its shares in The Karate Kid Part III confirmed that his need for revenge could sabotage an otherwise good plan. Silver still wants Daniel to suffer, but he doesn’t let that desire affect the course of the fights on the mat. Zara and Axel’s tactics in the tournament may be influenced by their personal feelings towards the Miyagi-Do fighters, but they are not being controlled by Silver.
Terry Silver’s New Version Plan Probably Would Have Worked
Morality aside, it was a good plan
The way the fights in the semifinals were going when the brawl broke out highlights just how successful Silver’s scheming can be when executed well. Looking at the way Robby was fighting Axel in Cobra Kai In the final episode of Season 6, Part 2, it is highly unlikely that the male Miyagi-Do captain would advance to the finals. This would have set up a showdown between Axel and Kwon, and as the latter was clearly defeated during the brawl, it is clear that Axel would have won the fight as well.
What would have happened between Zara and the winner of the Sam-Tory fight is a little more ambiguous. But since the Iron Dragons already had a commanding lead when it came to points, there’s a small chance that it would have made much of a difference if Zara lost. Presumably, just one of the Iron Dragons’ captains winning in the finals would have been enough to guarantee Sensei Wolf’s – and in turn, Terry Silver’s – victory.
This is not a promising sign for Daniel and Johnny’s dojo if the tournament continues after Kwon’s death in Cobra Kai. Ultimately, what Robby would need is a way to beat Axel, and while it’s possible this delay will give him more time to prepare, his superior strength and talent will be advantages that are difficult for the Miyagi-Do team to overcome. Even when Robby is fighting at his best he is not on Axel’s level who was portrayed as the most capable teenage fighter the series has ever seen.
Fortunately for their team, this may not matter in the end. In light of the tragedy that occurred in the fight, it is not unreasonable to think that the remaining Sekai Taikai fights will be cancelled. If that’s the case, Kwon’s death eased what would have been the ultimate revenge for Terry Silver and the fulfillment of a wish he’s had since 1985.